The Colby men’s soccer team shocked the NESCAC (New England Small College Athletic Conference) this past Saturday with a 2-1 win over previously undefeated, previously un-scored upon and previously third-ranked in New England Middlebury College.

Sophomore sensation Nick Aubin scored both goals, including the double overtime game winner with 35 seconds left. “The game was huge for the program and the message we wanted to send to the rest of the NESCAC. This isn't the same team as in years past and we're not looking to just make the playoffs anymore,” Aubin said in a post game interview outside the locker room. 

The weekend victory capped off an eight-day, four-game stretch for the Mules. On September 29, Colby played the University of Southern Maine (USM) to a 0-0 tie. The Mules have gone 1-1-0 since a 4-0 loss to Bowdoin, bringing their record to 4-3-1 overall and 2-3-0 in the NESCAC. 

Saturday was the men’s team’s Code Blue game and the fans came in numbers. The Panthers and Mules battled back and forth for the first 30 minutes without scoring a goal. Middlebury struck first in the 33rd minute. Otis Pitney, a junior Panther, received the ball in the right side of the box, faked inside, beat a defender to the outside and ripped a shot far post past goalie Ben Joslin ’12. Joslin, in his second consecutive start, allowed only one goal in nearly 110 minutes of play.

Colby responded before the end of the half with the first of two Aubin goals. Matias Rodlauer ’14 was on the assist as he “skimmed the ball backwards off his head [and] I just placed it in the corner with the outside of my left,” Aubin said of the first goal that Middlebury has surrendered all season.

The second half was scoreless, but thrilling nonetheless. Colby was called for a foul with about twenty minutes left when a Panther jumped on the back of a Mule defender. Peter Williams ’11 was the fan favorite, playing midfield on the fan’s side of the field. Williams battled waves of Panthers including Alex Colucci, Robbie Redmond, Jake Edwards and Tyler Smith. 

The first of the two ten-minute overtime periods went by without a score. The second overtime looked to be the same until Aubin headed a Jeremy Lachtrupp '12 cross that hit the base of the left post, bounced back and rebounded off the diving goalie into the net, ending the game and beginning the celebration.

Head coach Mark Serdjenian said, “It was a terrific win against a well-coached and talented Middlebury team. We worked tremendously hard and didn't make anything easy for them.” Coach Serdjenian added, “One of our Colby men's soccer core values is ‘we play through to the final whistle, and we are relentless both in practice and in matches.’ A commitment to that strength from within was rewarded.”

The midweek game at USM ended in a scoreless tie. Joslin started his first game in net, making eight saves and earning his first shutout. Andrew Meisel ’13 led the team with five shots. Colby had a 5-0 advantage in corner kicks in the first half.

The Colby men move into the second half of their season with two home games. The first was last night’s 3-1 win over the University of Maine at Farmington. The Mules will host a big game versus Tufts at 3:00 on Saturday. Come support the team if you’re still on campus for fall break.